Again, the most efficient action against GAIA appears to involve physical damage. And this is with great pleasure that the command center receives from Henry the list of all GAIA locations he knows about. Most of them are already known to everyone, but many are also new to them. Especially the confidential ones and the redundant sites, which, for security reasons, have never been disclosed to the public.
To this list, Don adds the factory he and John found on their way to his family. He provides the coordinates and they are entered right away on the computer that controls the satellites. They will now monitor all of the factory’s activity each time they orbit over it. It will provide useful intelligence for a future attack.
Moving to Jack’s group, Don already knows from Henry that they have made great strides. He cannot wait to see what Jack has found. But when he first enters the lab, he finds himself standing in front of a robot. The robot is coming in his direction in a very threatening way.
It only takes a second for Don to draw the gun he always carries. As he is about to shoot the robot he hears a loud scream.
“Stop!” Jack shouts.
At this very moment, both Don and the robot stop their movements. The robot stands still in front of Don and Don’s arm stays in midair as he was preparing to aim and shoot.
“What is that?” Don asks.
“We have reverse-engineered the robot, as you wanted,” Jack says. “Henry and his team have reprogrammed it and it is now working for us. Do you like it?” he asks.
“Well, you did great. Really. But I’m not sure I’m very comfortable with a fully functioning robot around. Are you sure it’s safe? Are you sure GAIA can no longer control it?” Don asks.
“Yes. We removed and destroyed everything that GAIA could use to connect to the robot. We replaced everything with whatever we were able to find and now the robot is only connected to the internal network. Nothing from outside,” Jack answers.
“Interesting. Do you think you can replicate this with other robots?” Don asks.
“Shouldn’t be difficult. As long as we can find the components we need to replace the ones we remove, we should be fine,” Jack says.
“Any chance we can just re-use the original components? Can’t we just erase the memory or overwrite it with our own programs?” Don asks.
“I don’t know. I’ll ask the programmers. But I would assume that for safety reasons, it’s probably better to work with clean components. Who knows if there are not hidden lines of code that GAIA could use against us?” Jack says.
“You are probably right. Well, keep investigating. Good work, Jack. Good work, team,” Don says as he leaves the lab.
Don knows the time has come to start resisting for good. He doesn’t have anything else on his mind. His family is here with him, safe and sound. He can now fully concentrate his military skills towards putting an end to GAIA. He will announce the next steps to the base tomorrow. He only needs a few hours to prepare a speech and identify the first targets.
As scheduled, by the following day Don is ready to expose his strategy to the rest of the community. He convenes all men to the command center. The only women who attend the meeting are Pam and Jen.
Don starts.
“First, I would like to congratulate all of you for all the progress you’ve made in our fight against GAIA. But there comes a time when we need to stop preparing and planning and start acting. I feel confident that the time is now. We are now officially moving to a new stage in our resistance effort. We are going to take GAIA down. But make no mistake. That stage means that we will need to fight. And in every battle, there are casualties. Some of us may not come back. But we have the skills, we have the fire power and we have the element of surprise. GAIA does not know we exist yet. And GAIA’s resources are currently fully used on gathering people all over the world to relocate them to the Metropolises. There is no better time to strike than now.”
“What if none of us comes back? Who’s going to take care of our wives and children?” one of the men asks.
“My objective is not to send all our resources to battle at once. Some men will stay here. We need people to protect the base. And in any case, I plan to use drones for our first attacks. We have a few Predators in their lighter, stealth version. We have enough missiles to run a few missions provided we don’t lose the drones in battle. They are faster than us on wheels and hopefully can return to base without being noticed. With these first missions, we will be able to study GAIA’s reactions. Once we have gathered enough intelligence on GAIA’s offensive and defensive capabilities, then and only then will we think about ground attacks. Look at it this way, we can stay here and wait, underground, deplete our resources and wait until we die. And Jen here can tell you this is not something you want to experience. Or we can try to put an end to a world order that none of us likes so our children can live free again on the surface. Our future is in our hands. No one is going to stop GAIA for us. Help is not coming. The only help you can count on is right here, in this room.”
Don did not expect pushback from his men. Especially the ones with families. They seem to have forgotten they were soldiers before. But he can understand their position. When knowing there is little hope, the tendency of many is to protect themselves and the ones they love. But after much debate and also with Pam and Jen’s help along with Don’s natural leadership, everyone eventually rallies to his cause. The entire base is now working towards the same goal; to destroy GAIA.
The following weeks and months see a few successful missions. But the base has difficulties to assess whether the actions have a real impact on GAIA or not.
GAIA’s progress doesn’t seem to slow down. The Metropolises keep on growing and the populations now appear to have all been relocated. It means that GAIA’s efforts can now shift to finding whatever rebellion is out there.
It seems that all the preparation and efforts from the resistance are fruitless as GAIA’s armor doesn’t even look to be slightly dented.
CHAPTER 21
As Don, Henry, John, Jack, Pam, and a few others are planning their future attacks, Gabe and Dave meet and get to know each other. They seem to get along well together. Gabe is a single child and he is happy to find a younger man who seems to look up to him. And Dave is getting a little tired to stay with girls, except for one, or younger kids, while not being old enough to spend time with adults. The two young men are a perfect fit for each other.
Gabe is a very skilled young man. When it comes to fighting or even weaponry, he seems to have benefited from the same training his father has. He sees his father as a hero and has always expressed a genuine interest in his father’s job.
When Gabe reached the age of sixteen, Don thought he was big enough to start learning about the basics. Gabe’s objective was to attend a military school and he needed to be prepared for that. Not to mention the fact that the world’s situation was getting worse and worse, potentially paving the way for a major conflict. In case of such an event, Don wanted his son to be able to defend himself and also to defend his mother, and later on, his own family. Compared to Dave, Gabe is now an expert in everything military-related. But compared to his father, he still has a lot to learn.
And this is why Gabe is extremely eager to join the training sessions dedicated to the teenagers. His skills allow him to play a leading role in the apprenticeship of his peers. He is not just considered as another teenager but also brings his expertise to the table to help the more experienced trainers who can now focus on different tasks.
It is clear to everyone at the base that Gabe is a natural born soldier. Not just a soldier or simply a fighter, but also a leader. It seems that most of his father’s qualities and skills are also part of Gabe’s. There are things one cannot explain. Skills, not innate, that need to be taught to and learned by most people, sometimes appear naturally in the next generation.
This is a question that Henry quickly sees as interesting. As he observes Gabe’s behavior, he also wonders abou
t the innate versus the acquired. Trying to understand how specific attitudes or behaviors and even skills can transfer from one generation to another. This is something he thought of many times in the past when he thought about his own father and how he, his son, could have potentially inherited some of the characteristics of his behavior. Henry was worried about that and that is one of the many reasons why he never managed to start a family. But this time it is more interesting to Henry as he deals with skills and not behaviors.
Dave is not indifferent to Gabe, either. Apart from Gabe’s skills that never cease to amaze Dave, he finds in Gabe the big brother he never had. Someone who can protect him, teach him things, someone he can rely on. Someone he can ask advice from, without being judged. Someone who is almost his age. Not an adult, not a child. Something in between, just like he is.
As for Gabe, Dave is someone he can share his knowledge and experience with without appearing as a kid who gives advice without knowing anything about life. He finds in Dave an attentive ear and even sometimes someone he can confide in.
Spending time together is mutually beneficial for Gabe and Dave. But this initial benefit of their situation quickly turns into a real friendship built upon trust.
The trust element has come into the friendship in a very typical fashion. Typical for young men like Gabe and Dave.
One day Gabe comes as he usually does to Dave’s room to pick him up for fighting practice. But when he arrives, it seems like Dave just stopped crying. His eyes are still red and humid. Gabe asks him what happened, but Dave doesn’t want to answer. After a few minutes poking his friend, Dave eventually gives up and provides an explanation that Gabe finds particularly poor.
As Gabe starts asking even more questions, he realizes that Dave is heartbroken. And not just that, he also seems angry at Gabe. After a while, Dave finally tells the truth. He is pissed at Gabe because ever since he arrived, one of the girls in the group seems to only have eyes for him.
Indeed, before Gabe arrived at the base, Dave and a girl, named Sonia, had a very good relationship. Sonia is a year older than Dave. She is seventeen. But despite the slight age difference, she doesn’t seem indifferent to Dave’s personality. Indeed, in such an environment, Dave is the closest thing Sonia can consider as a potential boyfriend. This mutual attraction draws them closer and she and Dave spend most of their time together. Dave is living a dream because to him, Sonia represents everything he could wish for in a girlfriend. On top of that, Sonia’s parents love Dave, and so do Dave’s parents with Sonia. Everything feels right. Everything is great. Sonia is the best thing that happened to Dave in the past few months. And if he needs to be honest with himself, probably the best thing that ever happened in his life.
And then comes Gabe. Even though Dave has the utmost respect for Gabe and loves him as a person, he cannot help but feel jealous of him. Because of him, Sonia now spends less and less time with Dave. She always has a good reason to avoid him. And more often than not, that good reason is Gabe.
Dave is a realistic young man. He understands that Gabe is older than him and probably represents more possibilities for Sonia. He gets it. But he has some issues accepting it.
“So that’s what it’s all about?” Gabe asks. “I’m glad. I actually thought something bad happened.”
“To me, it’s bad,” Dave says.
“I know how you feel. I’ve been there. But don’t worry, humans are strong and resilient. Time heals everything.”
“I know, but still, I feel bad right now.”
“What would make you feel better, young man?” Gabe asks.
“I’d like you to disappear …”
“Well, I understand. But that’s not something I can do. Not sure my parents would appreciate,” Gabe says.
“I know, I know … That’s not what I meant. I’d just like things to get back to where they were before you arrived.”
“Let’s do that, then,” Gabe says.
“What do you mean?” Dave asks.
“Look, I know Sonia is very smart and very attractive. But for some reason, I don’t feel anything for her. To me, we are just one big family and even though I love her, I just love her like a sister. Not like a girlfriend.”
“Wow … Thank you, but you make me feel even worse. Like someone who is trying to take advantage of the situation. I wish I were as mature as you are given the circumstances.”
“Sorry, that was not my intent. Don’t blame yourself, though. It’s not because I don’t feel attracted by Sonia that you cannot or should not. I completely understand how you feel. I also understand it’s totally natural and there is nothing you can do against it. It’s not about the situation or the circumstances. It’s about how you feel, and how she feels. You cannot command your feelings, and if I don’t feel anything for her, I will not force myself. It’s just the way I am. It doesn’t mean you should feel guilty because you feel something for her,” Gabe says.
“Ok. I guess I misunderstood. So if you don’t feel anything for her, how can we make sure she doesn’t feel hurt and how can I show her how I truly feel?” Dave asks.
“You’re right. I cannot go to her and tell her she is not attractive to me. She would probably be hurt. Maybe you and I can think of a plan so she sees you for who you truly are.”
“Do you have something in mind?” Dave asks.
“Not yet, but I’ll think about it. Now, how about some shooting practice? Do you feel up to it?” Gabe asks.
“Yes, I do” Dave answers.
The two young men go to the shooting area. Gabe is already busy thinking of a plan to help his friend and Dave is regretting being angry at Gabe earlier. He is now sure he can rely on Gabe and that he is trustworthy. He makes a formal promise to himself that there will never be any competition between them.
It’s only a few days later that Gabe comes up with a plan.
He invites Dave to join him in his room and the two young men start devising their strategy.
They both agree that the most important is for Sonia not to get hurt. They already know how sensitive they are when it comes to love, and they can only assume how difficult it can be for a young woman. But again, they don’t have much experience with girls and therefore they are not in the best position to judge how they can react.
Gabe had several ideas over the past few days … Boys’ stuff.
The first one is to tell Sonia that he already has a girlfriend back home. But given that the population in his village has been relocated, it may be difficult for Sonia to believe he is in love with someone and not trying to get back to her. Gabe thinks he can always argue that his father did the same with him and his mother until he was ready to look for them again. He can also pretend he is not ready yet to confront GAIA and the robots, which would explain why he is still here. But both boys are not really convinced about it. It is possible Sonia starts asking questions about the so-called girlfriend, and it would lead to a never ending list of lies.
The second option is to be very blunt. Let Sonia come to Gabe and tell her that he is not interested. Sonia would probably be sad. The reject this option. They don’t want to hurt her feelings.
The third option is for Gabe to pretend he is not as nice as he seems. Maybe Sonia will lose interest and turn back to Dave. Gabe and Dave think it is an interesting alternative, but they both know Gabe is not a bad person. It can be difficult for him to pretend, and at the same time, they don’t want to create a bad atmosphere among the group. Their parents have told them many times that in the circumstances they are all in, a key success factor to ensure survival in good conditions is to avoid conflict situations that would generate tensions and ultimately make the whole group split.
After exposing his ideas, Gabe tells Dave that the only option that is left is also the most obvious. It is simply for Dave to be totally honest with Sonia. He needs to express his true feelings to her. At the end of the day, they cannot tell lies. They cannot hurt. Both Gabe and Dave’s parents raised them in the r
espect of girls and women. They are on the same page and they agree that Dave, whenever he finds the courage, will tell Sonia how he feels about her.
As an assistant trainer, Gabe will make sure that Dave and Sonia work together during the training sessions and he will also make sure that Dave looks his best in front of her.
PART IV
CHAPTER 22
Meanwhile, the Metropolises are growing.
Fast.
It is a real necessity for GAIA as people are being relocated at the rate of hundreds of thousands every day in all parts of the world. The construction effort started a few months before the relocations began and it never stopped since.
3D building printers have been in use for a few years already. They are now larger, more performant, and faster. The walls of an entire building floor can be erected by a printer in less than an hour. When all available construction printers and cranes in the world are regrouped in just a few locations and dedicated to building a new city, it only takes a few weeks to erect the equivalent of a million new apartments.
When walls are up, a large team of robots takes over and designs the interior.
All interiors are the same. Everything is standardized down to its smallest detail. Standardization and modularity are key to ensure fast execution of GAIA’s plans.
Urban planning is also one of GAIA’s key focus areas. Life in a Metropolis needs to be efficient and needs to feel like it is pleasant. Fountains are built, and trees are planted. GAIA knows that people need to feel safe and good in the Metropolises to ensure they will not feel the need to leave. People cannot feel like they are in a prison.
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